Apparatus por treating disease



Dec. 22., 1925. I 1,566,634

H. P. TRAMBLEY APPARATUS FOR TREATING DISEASE Filed June 18, 1923 has/af/ny ev/ce uuun nonl ,9

MC/BJFZM/ 3 4 TT'OIPNE x9 Patented Dec. 22, 1925.

UNITED STATES HERBERT P. TRAKBLEY, Oil SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFGRNIA.

APPARATUS EOE TREATING DISEASE.

Application filed June 18, 1828 Serial No. 845,997.

To 1; whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT P. TRAM- man, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of San Francisco, in the State of California, have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Treating Disease, of which he following is a specification.

This invention relates to a scheme for the treatment of disease by the aid of periodiccurrents.

While the use of electric currents of relativelyhigh frequency for producing physiological effects upon living organisms. has been well known for a relatively long period, the utility of regulating the point of a plication as well as the frequency of t e current in accordance with the curative or anaesthesia effects desired was not recognized until comparatively recently. In accordance with this method as now practiced extensively, a spark set is used to generate damped high frequency waves, and the frequency is adjusted in any well-known manner to produce physiological effects upon the patient. In or er to effect cures or at least arrest the disease, such treatments are administered at frequent intervals. It is not essential, so far as my present invention is concerned, to elucidate the further theory of this mode of treatment, since these principles are well described in current publica-v ti0ns-for example in a series of articles dealing with the electronic reactions of Abrams, in Pearsons Magazine for June, July and August of 1922. It is however an object of my invention to'provide a more powerful device for propagating thev electric oscillations, whereby their effects may be intensified, and fewer treatments, or of less duration, need be given to secure the desired results.

In order to further this object, I prefer to use as the oscillation generator, a vacuum tube device. This has the advantage that it is capable of producing substantially undamped oscillations which are more effective than the highly damped wave forms of a spark transmitter. In this connection it is another object of my invention to provide a new form of oscillator.

In order to detect the existence of the radio frequency current where applied, so that the operator of the device maybe advised of its proper functioning, it is dereturn electrode 3 produce some form of modulation of the current. It is thus another object of my invention to produce a modulated radio frequency current in a novel manner. So far as this feature ofmy invention is concerned, it may be utilized in connection with other. forms of translating devices, such as radio transmitters, orthe like.

It is another object of my invention to render radio frequency current available for treatment merely by the aid of a commercial source of current, such as a lightin system.

y invention possesses other advantageous features, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth at length in the following description, Where I shall outline in full that form of the apparatus-of my invention which I have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification. Although I have shown in the drawings but one embodiment of the apparatus of my invention, I do not desire to be limited theresirable to to, since the invention as expressed in the claims may be embodied in, and practiced by, other forms also.

Referring to the drawings:

The single figure is a Wiring dia ram of one embodiment of the apparatus 0 my invention.

In this figure, an electrode 1 is used for applying the radio frequency current'to any part of the body 2. Since radio frequency is utilized, it is possible to maintain the out of contact with the body while still transmittin electrical energy thereto. In other wordIs, the electrical energy is transferred partly by radiation. Of course if the voltage of the source were low enough, the electrode 3 might be directly applied to the body 2 to increase the efficiency of the oscillation system.

' Although many forms of constant Wave generators can be used, I prefer to employ an oscillating thermionic device 4, having a filament 5, a grid or control electrode 6, and'a plate or anode 7. The oscillations are produced by permitting an energy transfer from the plate circuit to the grid circuit, in a well understood. manner. In the present instance the grid-filament circuit includes a portion 8 0 an inductance coil 9, while the filament-plate circuit includes the other portion 10. -Thus these two cirthe patient, there being no noisy cuits are inductively coupled together, and a part of the energy in the output circuit comprising the filament 5 and plate 7 is returned to the input circuit comprising the filament 5 and gridfi.

The source of potential for plate 7 may be inserted in any desired location and may be either an alternating or a direct current source. In the present instance leads 11 and 12 are indicated as leading to a commercial lighting circuit. In this way no special apparatus is needed to produce the oscillations, and my invention thus has a marked advantage over the spark system used heretofore; furthermore, the device is substantially noiseless and consequently the treatment is apt to have a better effect on disturbance. All of these features contribute in making my device a great deal more desirable than others that have already been proposed and used. The altern'atingcurrent source used for the plate potential simply serves to produce beats in the output current, but these are not objectionable for this purpose. The filament 5 may also be heated from the same source, as b the aid of a step-down transformer 13. In order to provide an oscillatory circuit, a variable condenser 14 is bridged across the inductor 9. By tuning the closed circuit comprising the condenser 14 and this inductor, the frequency producedf may be varied Within wide limits.

. I have shown the load circuit as connecting to one terminal 15 of the oscillatory cir. cuit, and to the grid 6. A condenser 16 of comparatively low capacity is included in the grid-filament circuit, between the grid 6 and that point 17 of the inductor 9 which is nearest the grid. I find that by using this condenser and by connecting one of the electrodes such as 1 on the grid side thereof, I am able to obtain rectified modulated waves, irrespective of the particular forms of current sources used for the filamentheating circuit 'as well as for the plate circuit. This is of considerable importance,

since by it the operator can gauge the strength of the current, by using any well known form oftranslating device 18 responsive. to audio frequency and connected to the load circui The" operation of the system may now be briefly recapitulated. The tube 4 is set into 0 eration by closing switch 19 and the oscillating circuit 914 is tuned to that frequency, either audio or radio, which it is desired to use on the patients body 2. The amplitude may be adjusted in any well.

known manner, as by varying the position of contact 20 on the inductance coil 9. The tube is preferably operated so as to produce a modulated wave. The electrode 1 may now be applied to the desired partof the body. By proper choice of frequency and point of application physiological effects, either curative or anaesthetic, may be obtained, as described in the publications hereinbefore referred to. The tube is a vary reliable source of oscillations; there are no moving parts and little likelihood of improper functionmg. Due to the novel form of connection, the translating device 18, which may be phones, for example, responds to the waves even if they are beyond the audibility range. The reasons for this behavior I believe is that the modulated Waves become rectified before they pass into the load circuit, but I do not desire to be at all limited to this explanation, which is merely'my best understanding at the present time. It is possible that the effect of the fixed condenser 16 upon the grid potential is such that this rectifier action takes place in the tube. However, I do not wish to confine myself to any particular theory of operation, the observed fact being nevertheless as set forth. In case audio frequency treatmentis administered, then this form of connection is not of course essential. i Y -I claim:

includin a filament and a control electrode,

1. In a system for producing electric osand sai output circuit including-the filament and an anode, an inductor connected between thecontrol electrode and the anode for coupling these circuits together, a condenser inserted between the control electrode and the inductor, and a load circuit connected directly across the control electrode and the anode.

\ 2. In a system for producing electric oscillations, a thermionic tube having coupled input and output circuits for direct interchange of energy, said input circuit including a filament and a control electrode, and said output circuit including the filament and an anode, a condenser of small capacity inserted 'next to the control electrode in the input circuit, andv a load circuitconnected directly across'the control electrode and the anode.

'In testimony whereof, I .my hand.

have hereunto set HERBERT P. TRAMBLEY. 

